A three month update

OT

 

7th Cycle.

  

NT

 

13th Cycle.

  

Sun 26.10.2025

18.08.2025 Mon

James 1:1 - 5:20 (108 verses) WEB

1 Peter 1:1 - 5:14 (105 verses) WEB

2 Peter 1:1 - 3:18 (61 verses) WEB

05.09.2025 Fri

Ruth 1:1 - 4:22 (85 verses) WEB

1 John 1:1 - 5:21 (105 verses) KJV

2 John 1:1 - 1:13 (13 verses) KJV

3 John 1:1 - 1:14 (14 verses) KJV

Jude 1:1 - 1:25 (25 verses) KJV

18.10.2025 Sat

1 Samuel 1:1 - 4:22 (107 verses) WEB

26.10.2025 Sun

1 Samuel 5:1 - 6:21 (33 verses) WEB

WEB — World English Bible
KJV — King James Version

Overall Progress
OT = 7,312 / 23,145 verses (31.6 %)
NT = 7,551 / 7,957 verses (94.9 %)

Today's post is an update of my slow reading over the past three months. I will not be able to complete my 7th round of Old Testament and my 13th round of New Testament reading by the end of this year. (My original target was to finish both 13th and 14th rounds of the NT along with the 7th round of OT.)

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Passage for Today

20 But you, beloved, keep building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit.
21 Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life.
22 On some have compassion, making a distinction,
23 and some save, snatching them out of the fire with fear, hating even the clothing stained by the flesh.
24 Now to him who is able to keep them from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory in great joy,
25 to God our Savior, who alone is wise, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. Amen.

Jude 1:20 – 25

 

World English Bible

The Goodness and Severity of God

OT  6th Cycle.   NT  11th Cycle.   Saturday 15Jun2024

Sat 18May24

Judges 9:1 - 13:25 (155 verses) NWB

Acts 25:1 - 28:31 (134 verses) WNT

Sun 19May24

Judges 14:1 - 16:31 (71 verses) WEB

Romans 1:1 - 8:39 (225 verses) WNT

Thu 13Jun24

Judges 17:1 - 21:25 (147 verses) GNB

Romans 9:1 - 16:27 (208 verses) ESV

Fri 14Jun24

Ruth 1:1 - 4:22 (85 verses) GNB

1 Corinthians 1:1 - 9:27 (204 verses) NET

Sat 15Jun24

1 Samuel 1:1 - 2:36 (64 verses) WEB

1 Corinthians 10:1 - 11:34 (67 verses) NET

NWB — Noah Webster's Bible
WNT — Weymouth New Testament
WEB — World English Bible
GNB — Good News Bible
ESV — English Standard Version
NET — New English Translation

Over the past four weeks, I have finished reading the last twelve chapters of Judges, followed by the book of Ruth and two chapters from First Samuel. In my New Testament readings, I completed the last four chapters of Acts, the entire Epistle of Paul to the Romans, and the first eleven chapters of First Corinthians.

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Passage of the Day

See then the goodness and severity of God. Toward those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in his goodness; otherwise you also will be cut off.
Romans 11:22  World English Bible

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My thoughts for today is about the severity of God's punishment upon those refuse to believe Him and who go against his will. However, as Paul wrote about the unbelief of the Israelites in Romans 11:23,

"They also, if they don't continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again."

— those who turn back from unbelief and obey the will of God can find grace in Him. I wrote my thoughts on this 15 years ago, from the account about King Rehoboam in 2 Chronicles 10, posted in the link below —

• Rehoboam's mistake and his mitigation

Deleted notes : a painful misstep

OT  5th Cycle.   NT  9th Cycle.

The detailed day-by-day record of my Bible readings for the past 18 days are lost. I have been recording the daily entries on Google Keep notes and today, after I have updated my overall Old and New Testament progress, I deleted them accidentally before I copied them over to this blog. Unfortunately, Google Keep does not allow me to undo and restore deleted texts once I have closed the note.

It was a painful misstep for me.

As a result, I can only post a summary of my reading progress below, without the detailed books, chapters and verses I covered for each of the past 18 days:

Old Testament readings

• Joshua 01May23 – 07May23
• Judges 07May23 – 11May23
• Ruth 12May23 – 12May23
• 1 Samuel 12May23 – 16May23
• 2 Samuel 16May23 – 18May23
• 1 Kings 18May23 – 20May23
• 2 Kings 20May23 – (finished Ch 1 to Ch 4)

New Testament readings

• Romans 02May23 – 03May23
• 1 Corinthians 04May23 – 07May23
• 2 Cotinthians 07May23 – 09May23
• Galatians 11May23 – 11May23
• Ephesians 11May23 – 11May23
• Philippians 11May23 – 11May23
• Colossians 12May23 – 12May23
• 1 Thessalonians 12May23 – 12May23
• 2 Thessalonians 12May23 – 12May23
• 1 Timothy 12May23 – 12May23
• 2 Timothy 12May23 – 12May23
• Titus 13May23 – 13May23
• Philemon 13May23 – 13May23
• Hebrews 13May23 – 13May23
• James 14May23 – 14May23
• 1 Peter 14May23 – 14May23
• 2 Peter 15May23 – 15May23
• 1 John 15May23 – 15May23
• 2 John 15May23 – 15May23
• 3 John 15May23 – 15May23
• Jude 15May23 – 15May23
• Revelation 16May23 – 18May23

I have reached a milestone in completing the 9th round of my New Testament reading two days ago, on Thu 18May23

A summary of my Bible reading cycles can be found below:

• My Bible Reading Cycles

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Noteworthy Passages of the Day

1 Therefore, because we have been declared righteous by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom also we have obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we boast in the hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only this, but we also boast in our afflictions, because we know that affliction produces patient endurance, 4 and patient endurance, proven character, and proven character, hope, 5 and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
Romans 5:1 - 5  Lexham English Bible

26 And likewise also, the Spirit helps us in our weakness, for we do not know how to pray as one ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with unexpressed groanings. 27 And the one who searches our hearts knows what the mindset of the Spirit is, because he intercedes on behalf of the saints according to the will of God. 28 And we know that all things work together for good for those who love God, for those who are called according to his purpose, 29 because those whom he foreknew, he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, so that he should be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those whom he predestined, these he also called, and those whom he called, these he also justified, and those whom he justified, these he also glorified.
Romans 8:26-30  Lexham English Bible

if you confess with your mouth “Jesus is Lord” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved
Romans 10:9  Lexham English Bible

5 Now may the God of patient endurance and of encouragement grant you to be in agreement with one another, in accordance with Christ Jesus, 6 so that with one mind you may glorify with one mouth the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Romans 15:5-6  Lexham English Bible

14 Now God has not only raised the Lord, but will also raise us up through His power.
1 Corinthians 6:14  New American Standard Bible

What does God see in my heart?

OT  4th Cycle.    NT  7th Cycle.

Friday 12Aug2022
Ruth 1:1 - 4:22 WEB (85 verses)
1 Samuel 1:1 - 7:17 WEB (167 verses)
Romans 1:1 - 16:27 NIV (433 verses)

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Sunday 14Aug2022
1 Samuel 8:1 - 17:58 WEB (307 verses)
1 Corinthians 1:1 - 8:13 ESV (177 verses)

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I missed my Bible reading session yesterday, so today I read double portions of both the Old and New Testaments.

I finished reading the book of Ruth and the epistle to the Romans two days ago, and have begun reading First Samuel. Today, I begin reading First Corinthians.

Passage of the day

Verse 6 in 1 Samuel chapter 16 tells us that Samuel, having been sent to the house of Jesse the Ephrathite of Bethlehem Judah to anoint one of his sons to be King, looked at Eliab son of Jesse and said, "Surely the LORD's anointed is before Him".

But the LORD said to Samuel, “Don’t look on his face, or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for I don’t see as man sees. For man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”
1 Samuel 16:7  World English Bible, British Edition

Then Jesse called Abinadab, followed by Shammah, and one by one altogether seven of his eight sons passed before Samuel the prophet.

None of them were chosen by the LORD.

It turned out that the chosen son was the youngest, who was herding sheep outside in the pastures. Verse 12 tells us that this young man had a youthful looking handsome appearance and did not look anything like a king, but the LORD told Samuel,

"Arise! Anoint him, for this is he."

He sent, and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, with a handsome face and good appearance. The LORD said, “Arise! Anoint him, for this is he.”
1 Samuel 16:12  World English Bible

Nobody knew that David was well trained for war. David went through combat training while herding his father's flocks of sheep. I wrote a commentary on this about thirteen years ago, link below:

• Combat training

More recently, about six months ago, I wrote about the trust that David had in the LORD, that just as the LORD had saved him from bears and lions which he fought off with his bare hands, the LORD would also save him from the giant Goliath whom he fought without sword nor shield:

• David fought without sword and without shield

Brothers and Sisters in the Anointed One, people around us may look at us and judge us only by our outward appearance. God, however, looks at our hearts.

Today, let us ask ourselves, "What does God see in my heart?"

Til death do us part

Friday 11Feb2022

Today's Passages
Judges 19:1 - 21:25 ESV (103 verses)
Ruth 1:1 - 4:22 ESV (85 verses)
Acts 14:1 - 16:40 JND (109 verses)

This morning in my Old Testament readings, I finished reading the last three chapters of the book of Judges and continued to read all four chapters of the book of Ruth. Tomorrow I will begin reading First Samuel.

In the New Testament, I read chapters 14 to 16 of the Acts of the Apostles.

In Ruth chapter 1 from today's Old Testament portion, I noticed that Ruth, upon being urged by her mother-in-law Naomi to go back to her own parents' home, replied her mother-in-law, " . . . where you die, I will die" and that nothing except death would part them.

Ruth 1:16 - 17  ESV  English Standard Version

16 But Ruth said, “Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you. For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God. 17 Where you die I will die, and there will I be buried. May the LORD do so to me and more also if anything but death parts me from you.”

This is the first time I come across a person saying "Til death do us part" in the Bible, and not in a marriage vow.

Later in Ruth chapter 2, Ruth's relative Boaz described her life-long decision to remain with Naomi, to be part of the people of Israel, as akin to taking refuge under the wings of YHWH, the God of Israel.

Ruth 2:12  ESV

The LORD repay you for what you have done, and a full reward be given you by the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge!

Brothers and Sisters in the Lord Iesus the Anointed One, have you made the same life-long decision that Ruth made? Have we decided to take refuge under the wings of the LORD our God? Have we decided to stay in fellowship with the assembly of God's children in this world, until death do us part?

Ruth, the mother of Obed

Thursday 2021.11.04

This morning I read through the Book of Ruth in the Old Testament while in the New Testament, I read chapters 13 and 14 of the Gospel of John.

It is noteworthy that while Bo'az agreed to marry Ruth after her husband Chillion ben Elimelech had died in the land of Moab, "to perpetuate the name of the dead in his inheritance, that the name of the dead may not be cut off from among his brethren" (Ruth 4:10), the Book of Ruth ends with a brief genealogy showing the lineage of descendants of Perez down to David, with Obed listed as the descendant of Boaz, the son borne to Boaz by Ruth, rather than the descendant of Chillion his nominal father.

Ruth 4:18 - 22 RSV Revised Standard Version

Now these are the descendants of Perez:
Perez was the father of Hezron,
Hezron of Ram,
Ram of Ammin'adab,
Ammin'adab of Nahshon,
Nahshon of Salmon,
Salmon of Bo'az,
Bo'az of Obed,
Obed of Jesse,
and Jesse of David.

It is also significant that a similar and more complete genealogy is recorded in chapter 1 of the Gospel according to Matthew, beginning with the generation of Abraham and going down the lineage all the way to Joseph the husband of Mary, the mother of Iesus the Anointed One:

Matthew 1:1 - 16 RSV Revised Standard Version

1The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.
2Abraham was the father of Isaac,
and Isaac the father of Jacob,
and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers,
3and Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar,
and Perez the father of Hezron,
and Hezron the father of Ram,
4and Ram the father of Ammin'adab,
and Ammin'adab the father of Nahshon,
and Nahshon the father of Salmon,
5and Salmon the father of Bo'az by Rahab,
and Bo'az the father of Obed by Ruth,
and Obed the father of Jesse,
6and Jesse the father of David the king.

And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uri'ah,
7and Solomon the father of Rehobo'am,
and Rehobo'am the father of Abi'jah,
and Abi'jah the father of Asa,
8and Asa the father of Jehosh'aphat,
and Jehosh'aphat the father of Joram,
and Joram the father of Uzzi'ah,
9and Uzzi'ah the father of Jotham,
and Jotham the father of Ahaz,
and Ahaz the father of Hezeki'ah,
10and Hezeki'ah the father of Manas'seh,
and Manas'seh the father of Amos,
and Amos the father of Josi'ah,
11and Josi'ah the father of Jechoni'ah
and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon.

12And after the deportation to Babylon:
Jechoni'ah was the father of She-al'ti-el,
and She-al'ti-el the father of Zerub'babel,
13and Zerub'babel the father of Abi'ud,
and Abi'ud the father of Eli'akim,
and Eli'akim the father of Azor,
14and Azor the father of Zadok,
and Zadok the father of Achim,
and Achim the father of Eli'ud,
15and Eli'ud the father of Elea'zar,
and Elea'zar the father of Matthan,
and Matthan the father of Jacob,
16and Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary,
of whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ.

One may say that the whole purpose of the narrative of the Moabitess Ruth, returning to the land of Israel with her mother-in-law Naomi, is to show that Ruth was predestined to become the great-grandmother of King David, God's chosen king, from whom the Messiah will come.

It also shows the sovereign hand of the LORD Yehovah in preparing for the arrival of King David to rule over Israel, and eventually for the Messiah, the Seed of David to be the Anointed One, the chosen eternal High Priest and King over the Kingdom of God Almighty.

Today I have read a total of eighty-five verses from the Old Testament and sixty-nine verses from the New Testament.

Today's Passages:
Ruth 1:1 - 4:22 RSV (85 verses)
John 13:1 - 14:31 NIV (69 verses)

Saturday 06Mar21

Saturday 2021.03.06

Ruth 2:1 - 4:22 KJV
2 Samuel 22:1 - 23:39 ASV
2 Samuel 24:1 - 25 JND
1 Kings 1:1 - 53 BBE
Ezra 1:1 - 11 WEB
Acts 26:1 - 32 WNT
Tobit 8:1 - 21 LXX

KJV = King James Version
ASV = American Standard Version
JND = J.N.Darby's Translation
BBE = Bible in Basic English
WEB = World English Bible
WNT = Weymouth New Testament
LXX = Septuagint Brenton

Friday 05Mar21

Friday 2021.03.05

Judges 21:1 - 25 KJV
Ruth 1:1 - 22 WEB
2 Samuel 20:1 - 26 ASV
2 Samuel 21:1 - 22 JND
Acts 25:1 - 27 WNT
Tobit 7:1 - 18 LXX

KJV = King James Version
WEB = World English Bible
ASV = American Standard Version
JND = J.N.Darby's Translation
WNT = Weymouth New Testament
LXX = Septuagint Brenton